Authorities hunting 141 prison breakers from typhoon-hit areas

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Authorities have been hunting down 141 inmates who managed to escape from the jails in Central Philippine province of Leyte, which was severely hit by super typhoon Haiyan last week, a senior government official said today.

Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas told reporters in Central Philippine city of Tacloban that of the 142 inmates escaped from the provincial and Palo City jails, only one was so far recaptured.

He said he already ordered the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Metro Manila to come up with a profile of those escapees because all the records in the province got lost.

"So, we ordered to look for their profile - are they hardened criminals, are they pickpockets, or what? We need to know where to focus our efforts in recapturing them," Roxas said.

Some of the reported looting incidents in Leyte, one of the hardest-hit provinces in the typhoon-devastated areas, were allegedly organized and perpetrated by escapees.